Still.



PATENTED MAR. 3., 1903.

G. F. AHLERS.

STILL.

APPLICATION FILED 00130, 1902.

5] n man 170':

N0 MODEL.

lJNlTED STATES ATET OFFICE.

GEORGE F. AHLERS, OF COVINGTON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO HOFFMAN, AI'ILERS(h COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION.

STILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 722,071, dated March 3,1903.

Application filed October 30, 1902. Serial No. 129,355. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. AHLEns, a citizen of the United States,residing at Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of 5Keutucky,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stills, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improved apparatus for distilling ether andalcohol from spirits such as commercial high-wines.

The objects of my invention are, first, to separately recover thedistilled other at the beginning of the operation; second, to separatelycollect the alcohols of the different I proofs absolutely free fromcontaminating ether, and, third, to rapidly and efficiently recover thelow-proof alcohol remaining in the residue of the charge after the etherand higher-proof alcohol have been separately collected.

Other objects of my invention relate to the production of simple devicesfor accomplishing these objects incorporated into onecontinuously-operating system.

The features of my invention will be more fully set forth in thedescription of the accompanying drawing, forming a part of thisspecification, in which the figure is a side elevation of my apparatuswith various parts shown in 0 section.

A represents the ordinary rectifying apparatus, having the usualblow-off pipe a and steam heating-coil a. B represents the conduitleading from the dome of this apparatus to the base of the ordinaryrefining-column C, having therein the ordinary series of boiling-pipes band drip-pans c. From the top of this refining-column a pipe D leads tothe usual goose-condenser E, in which d represents the goose-coil. erepresents a returnpipe tapping the pipe f, which in turn taps thebottom of the goose-coil d, whereby the alcohol condensed in the chamberE returns to the dripping-pans in column C. F repre- 5 sents a pipeleading from the goose-coil d to the final condenser G, which dischargesinto the alcohol-separating box H. These parts and arrangements are ofthe ordinary construction in the present mode of refining highwines. Asthe operation was conducted in this apparatus, at the beginning of agiven operation there remains collected in the drip- .pans of the columnC the second grade of al cohol left over from the previous operation.

At the beginning of this new operation the ether is first driven off andpasses upwardly through the column C, boiling the alcohol held in theseries of pans and being absorbed largely thereby. So much of the etheras is not absorbed in the column C and not condensed in the condenser Epasses over and is condensed in the final vertical condenser G, where itis separated from the first-grade alcohol. As the result of thisoperation all the alcohol held by the column C is badly contaminated bythe ether and the Whole system is fouled with the ether-vapors. So muchof the alcohol as becomes contaminated with the ether-vapor at thisprimary portion of the distillation is an impure mixture requiring 7oredistillation at a constant loss to render it suitable for commercialuses. In order to avoid this loss of alcohol and theconsequent loss oftime, in order to keep the apparatus pure, and in order to separatelycollect the different products in condition suitable for commercialpurposes and free from alcohol,

I have provided the following instrumentalities:

I represents an ether-conduit leading from So the top of the conduit Bto the top of an ethercondensing tank J, having condensing-tubes gtherein.

K represents a separatingbox for the ether, communicating by means of apipe h with the condenser J.

j represents a pipe leading from the separating-box to theether-reservoir L, where it is stored under air-pressure fordistribution as needed. 0

70 represents a valve in the pipe I. The ordinary charging-pipes, gages,&c., of the distilling apparatus are shown, but need not be described.

Z represents Water-inlet pipes entering the 5 pipe B and provided withthe valve m.

M represents a water-pipe leading from the bottom of the column C intothe distilling vessel A. It is provided with the cook 41.

0 represents a draw-off pipe leading from [00 the bottom of the column 0for draining.

Mode of operation: The old charge having the bottom of column 0 areWater-sealed.v

The water-level is raised in the column 0 and in the alcohol-conduit Bto a level slightly below the level at which the ether-conduit Icommunicates with said conduit B. N represents an air-compressorcommunicating with the air-coil p in the steam-heating chest 0, the saidcoil communicating with the vessel A through the top thereof. Qrepresents a steam-inlet to said chest, and R the steamoutlet. .9represents a perforated distributing hot-air coil in the bottom of thevessel A, supplied with a pipe leading from the coil p. The valve beingopen, n closed, and a water-level established as directed, heat isapplied to the charge, and the compressed hot air from the coil 19 issupplied to the bottom of the charge, thoroughly agitating the same andsupplying the oxidizing agent in a condition best adapted to liberatethe ether. The ether being driven off at a lower temperature than theevaporating-point of alcohol is rapidly expelled from the charge, andbeing shut off by the water seal from entrance into the column 0 itenters the ether-condensing systemthroughthepipel. Thecondensed liquidis drawn oif and tested from time to time, and the operation is allowedto continue as long as the tests showthe ether to be pure. When thesetests show that the ether is all driven oi, the valve 70 is closed, thevalve it opened, discharging the water from the column, and thealcohol,entirely free from ether, is allowed to pass though thealcohol-condensing system. When the operation has been continued untilall of the high-proof alcohol has been elimi nated from the charge, asmall per cent. of lowproof alcohol remains, which as the operation wascarried on heretofore was either wasted in the blow-off or driven at theexpense of considerable time and heat. With my apparatus, when thisstage of the operation is reached I again treat the charge to theagitation and oxidation of the hot compressed air, which quite rapidlyand economically drives 0d the low-proof alcohol remaining in thecharge, so saving all the alcohol without the loss of additional time,heat, and labor.

By this apparatus and operation I produce for the first time in oneapparatus and one continuous operation a commercially-pure ether and acommercially-pure alcohol of two grades, these three products beingseparately collected.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In combination with adistilling vessel, an alcohol-condensing chamber, a conduit leading fromthe top of the distilling vessel to the bottom of the condenser, meansfor supplying water to and draining water from said condenser, anether-condenser, a conduit connecting the said ether-condenser with thesaid alcohol-conduit, avalve in the said ether-conduit, means forseparately collecting the condensed alcohol and the condensed ether, andmeans for establishing awater seal in the alcohol-condenser, wherebycommunication is shut off between the same and the distilling vesselduring the primary operation in which the ether is supplied to itsseparate condensing system, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a distilling vessel, an alcoholcondensingchamber, a conduit leading from the top of the distilling vessel to thebottom of the condenser, means for supplying water to and draining waterfrom said condenser, an ether-condenser, a conduit connecting the saidether-condenser with the said alcohol-conduit, a valve in the saidether-conduit, means for separately collecting the condensed alcohol andthe condensed ether, and means for establishing a water seal in thealcohol-condenser,wherebycommunicationis shut off between the same andthe distilling vessel during the primary operation in which the ether issupplied to its separate condensing system, and means for supplying hotcompressed air through the distilling vessel, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEO. F. AHLERS.

Witnesses:

OLIVER B. KAISER, IDA J. LUCAS.

